Flying

Until now, Cessna's Citation Mustang "entry level" twinjet was seen as the unequivocal best of breed. While the Mustang is a fine airplane, its market dominance was not particularly difficult as every other competitor failed to gain FAA certification, slid into bankruptcy, or both.

As the new century's first decade winds down, we are "connected" in flight as never before. At 41,000 feet, we can exchange e-mails and text messages, watch satellite TV and instantly access all the resources on the Internet.

One of the easiest ways to book a charter flight is through a broker. Charter brokers often have access to hundreds of aircraft and can offer services such as catering and ground transportation that small charter operators aren't able to provide. The downside, however, is that of the hundreds of brokers in existence, no two have the same safety standards or business ethics.

Lavatories on corporate and privately owned airplanes run the gamut from none at all to luxuriously appointed throne rooms fit for royalty. If you take nothing else away from this little essay, please remember: When flying on an unfamiliar airplane, you need to ask ahead of time what facilities, if any, will be available. Then plan your meal and drink schedule accordingly.

As the economy has suffered historic setbacks, an old four-letter word has come to the fore in our business vernacular: risk. Just as you seek to better understand the risk of your portfolio investments, you should consider the risk that goes with your fractional jet ownership.

"It has never made sense to me that people who wouldn't consider driving in a car without airbags will get in an aircraft that doesn't have them," said Bill Hagan, president of Phoenix-based AmSafe Aviation. According to Hagan, airbags on airplanes can significantly increase passenger safety in accidents that occur during taxiing, takeoff and landing.

Imagining what it's like to take a private jet flight with your kids is easy. Just picture them hermetically sealed for a few hours in a space not much bigger than a walk-in closet. On the minus side of the experience: on most jets, it's cold turkey on texting and Internet access; skateboarding is definitely out; and there's probably no live television.

The Dish: Lobster Popcorn with Lemon Butter Lobster and popcorn both improve with butter, and when you combine all three ingredients, you're on the road to culinary heaven. This labor-intensive dish starts with boiled lobster, which is shocked in an ice bath after cooking. Then the tail is sliced into bite-size medallions.